Page 39 - BSAM 2015 Q3

I wrap the protected branch with copper wire of ap- propriate size, winding in the direction that I’m going to bend the branch in order to tighten the coils when bending. This type of wiring does not function to bend but rather to keep the fibers of the wood tightly packed together to avoid breakage and to help distribute the tension at the anchor point. I bend the branch to the desired point and my hands “feel” the flexibility of the wood, helping me understand how much force I dare apply. The same operation is also performed on the other two branches to be able to lower them and spe- cifically to create the backside of the design.
Then starts the job of six-handed wiring. I person- ally bend and position all the main branches, thinking of the various positions in which I’m going to place the secondary branches, while my assistants continue wiring all the fine branches.
Starting from the bottom, we begin to define all the foliage masses by opening and creating space and compacting the branches that are still too long and that over time will be shortened.
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